How to save money when buying appliances

Out of all the necessities for your home, your appliances are some of the most expensive items to purchase. Regardless if you are buying the cheapest models or the top of the line, appliances help us…

Decor – Crisp, Fresh: Go for Green Apples

Is everyone baking pie, or is this a design detail of which I was unaware? It must be the latter, as there would have to be some sort of pastry pandemic to warrant all the Granny Smiths we're seeing…

Product Innovation: Kerdi-Board – What you don’t see could inspire you!

I love to hear about building material innovations. With that being said, I also tend to wait until the pros have had a chance to work with and evaluate the pros and cons of new materials. In 2010, a…

Getting your home ready to list

In a buyer’s market, the onus is on sellers to do everything possible to woo potential buyers and get a leg-up on the competition. Here we provide 10 stylish tips for increasing your curb appeal and…

Decor – All Things Valentine

It’s already mid-February, folks, and you know what that means? It’s time to eat excessive amounts of chocolate again! But for those of you looking to indulge in something a bit more figure-friendly,…

How to make your interiors more pet friendly

If you are like most pet owners you love your furry members of the family, but you also feel like you have to sacrifice your sense of style in your home decor because of them. Whether it is because…

Take a Seat at the New Kitchen-Table Island

Hybrid Kitchen Islands Swap Storage for a Table-Like Look and More Seating  Lately, a whole lot of kitchen islands are starting to look an awful lot like kitchen tables. Sure, furniture-style legs…

Bathroom Decor – What to use for the shower floor

You have finally selected your bath tile, but do you know what you are using for the shower floor? This surface is an important detail that shouldn't be overlooked. It is an opportunity to unify the…

Up on the roof: Those darn ice dams

A Wayland, Mass. man was felled by a piece of ice as big as a desk this weekend when he was trying to clear an ice dam from his roof. This winter's weather has created a perfect storm for ice dams—a…

Special Report: Interior Design News From Cologne

Paul Anater, a designer and blogger of impeccable taste had the great fortune of attending the IMM in Cologne, Germany. Thanks to Houzz for providing an excellent forum for "idea books" for all of…

Ten Myths About the New Energy-efficient CFL Light Bulbs

The BC government is phasing out the old inefficient incandescent light bulbs, as a way to help us save money and become more energy efficient, but as a result, there’s a lot of myth-making going on…

Decor – 30 Beautiful and Relaxing Bathroom Design Ideas

Relaxation can be achieved in a variety of forms. For today we put together a collection of 30 amazing bathroom designs that are meant to release pressure. Whether it is the shape of the bathtub that…

The Importance of Bathroom and Kitchen Fans

Bathroom and kitchen fans are an important part of your home's ventilation system. They remove odours from your house, which improves indoor air quality. They also remove moisture, which decreases…

Kitchen Layouts: Ideas for U-Shaped Kitchens

The U-shaped kitchen lends itself to high-efficiency cooking: You can often pivot on one toe as you spin around from refrigerator to sink to stove. A good friend and accomplished cook swears by this…

How to choose green building materials

At DrummondHousePlans, we scour the web for resources for you. With so much discussion about eco-friendly and green building options, it is great to see articles that are more factual than full of…

Design Details: Raise a red lantern!

Add a Beautiful Lantern for Warm Welcome, Classic Style or a Touch of Romance Long before there was an electric lamp post on every corner, visitors relied on lanterns hung outside homes to light…

Architectural Tourism – Harbin International Festival of Ice and Snow

Some architectural styles are classic while others are more temporary in nature. The Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Harbin China paradoxically combines the two, except the temporary nature is…

Good-bye incandescent bulbs, hello mercury

The most popular sizes of incandescent light bulbs will disappear from most store shelves in B.C. within the next few weeks and the most common replacement lights cost up to 10 times more to buy.…

Decor – Wallpaper as Art

The Cross' Peter Wilds on New Patterns and Textures... The latest offerings in wallpaper will have you eyeing every surface in your home, scouting for an area that needs a little pick-me-up This…

Kitchen Layouts – A vote for the good old galley!

Thanks to Houzz contributor, Rebekah Zaveloff, for this wonderful article revisiting and often overlooked kitchen layout. "For some reason, the galley kitchen layout has lost popularity in recent…